There are many misconceptions today about formula feeding babies and what breastfeeding is equivalent to. Breast milk is complex and species specific; it targets the growth and development of infants and provides protection against disease. Breast milk and formula contain similar nutrients, but formula is not an exact copy of breast milk. Formula can maintain growth and development, but it does not contain hormones, living cells, immunological agents, or enzymes, all of which are contained in breast milk. Breast milk contains four hundred nutrients that cannot be recreated in the laboratory. The compositions of the formulas do not change to meet the changing needs of the infant. Although many infant formulas are similar to breast milk, they have considerable differences in the quality and quantity of nutrients. Breastfeeding is not just a lifestyle choice; it is a medical problem for both mother and baby. Breastfeeding mothers can rest easy knowing that children are not the only ones who benefit from breastfeeding. “Breastfeeding mothers benefit from a reduced risk of premenopausal breast cancer, ovarian cancer and osteoporosis.” (Coburn issue 95) The authors of What to Expect From your Toddler and Healthwise researchers both agree that breastfeeding helps a mother recover more quickly. from the stress of pregnancy, labor and childbirth. For some mothers, the fact that breastfeeding helps them lose the remaining pregnancy pounds, burning at least five hundred extra calories a day, is reason enough not to use formula yet, the reassuring thought of convenience Daily breastfeeding is by far just as big a thrill. Breast milk is always in stock, ready to use, clean and always at the ideal temperature. Most mothers are also relaxed knowing that ... middle of paper ...... causes the death of a million and a half babies each year and poor health in countless others. Works Cited1.)Acta paediatrica 2002 March 2.)Naomi Baumslag, MD, PHD, and Dia L. Michels, Milk, Money and Madness: The Culture and Politics of Breastfeeding. Westport, Conn.: Bergin & Garvey, 1995.3.)Coburn, Jennifer. “For-profit formula: how the marketing of breast milk replaces that of babies” Mothering July/August 2001, number 101www.mothering.com/articles/articles.shtml/4.)Correa, Wendy. “Eco-Mama: Why Breastfeeding is Best for Babies…and the Environment” Mothering July/August 2001, Issue 95www.mothering.com/articles/articles.shtml/5.)Eisenburg, Arlene and Hathaway Sandee E., BFN and Markoff Heidi E. What to expect in your first yearNew York, New York: Workman Publishing Company Incorporated 1989